The subject matter disclosed herein relates to electric machines. More specifically, the subject disclosure relates to magnetic flux regulation of electric machines.
Many electrical actuators employ a DC electric motor, such as a Permanent Magnet DC Motor (PMDCM) to move a surface or object. Typically, the size of the actuator is related to the available power that must be delivered. In some cases, electrical actuators are needed to be able to deliver maximum power under a wide range of conditions and faults.
A PMDCM is limited in power by the available flux developed by the magnets on the rotor of the motor. In conventional PMDCMs, the magnetic field strength dictates the size of the rotor, because the rotor holds the permanent magnet(s). The higher the power, the more magnetic flux is needed, either through larger size or stronger magnets.